Elessar was blind from birth. He ran up and down the stairs, jumped up on the stair railing, jumped up on the counter and the pool table. Everything was a leap of faith with him. He just assumed he was safe and followed wherever his littermates and/or mother (Misty) went. For safety, the kittens slept in a tall kitten cage at night. It took two years to wean him out of the kitten cage. We left the cage open during the day, at night he would put himself up and cry until we closed the gate, if we didn’t latch the gate, he would come find us, lead us back to the cage and cry until we locked him in. After two years, we finally were able to get him to sleep in the game room, but only if the door was closed. If we did not shut the door, he would come get us and complain until it was closed.

Every night, at the same time, Elessar would tell us that it was time for dinner. The other cats would wait in the game room. If we were late, he would complain and then go get the rest of the family. One by one they would come into the room and just sit and stare at us until we got up to go feed them. Then they would all run up to the game room, except Elessar. He would sit on the bottom stair and wait for me to pick him up, flip him on his back and give him cuddles and snuggles while I walked up the stairs.

Elessar never showed any signs of ill temper. On the evening before we lost him, I picked him up and clipped his nails and gave him a snuggle. When I put him on the floor, he hissed. That was a first, we decided at that moment that even though he seemed fine and was not running a temperature that he was going to the vet first thing in the morning. We were waiting for the vet when they opened at 7, at 8 an ultrasound showed bladder stones, at 10 his little heart stopped.

Elessar bounded into our world full of love and laughter. He stayed for a while and made us smile. Like all gentlemen, he knew when it was time to leave and he quietly slipped away with no muss or fuss. Leaving behind memories full of smiles and an empty place in our hearts.